A living hall of story and craft
I was scrolling, half numb, when I saw the line that finally made my brain short-circuit: “PMDD can cause symptoms that closely mimic hypoglycemia crashes.” Intense hunger. Dizziness. Shakiness. Sudden, violent mood swings that feel like the bottom dropping out of your body, and you don’t know if you need food or a priest. I … Read more
I’d been declaring, with all the confidence in the world, that my books were destined to be comics. And they still are — just not exclusively, and not yet. Before the visual work takes centre stage, a wave of prose ebooks has quietly surfaced on ottawavalleycreations.ca. If you’re wondering why the catalogue suddenly looks more … Read more
A man on YouTube — not a writer, not even someone who makes his living off words — recently declared that anyone who treats writing as a side hustle “has no respect for the craft.” He said it with the confidence of someone who has never had to make rent off their own creativity, and … Read more
There’s a popular story about depression that sells well in a culture addicted to self-improvement. It says that if you just push harder — get out of bed, stay busy, grind your way through — you’ll eventually brute-force your way back to being “okay.” It’s the story of willpower as salvation. But there’s a quieter … Read more
People sometimes mistake confidence for arrogance, or authority for delusion. I understand why. When someone writes with conviction, especially about their own work, it can sound as though they believe they’ve got it all figured out — as though they woke up one morning knowing exactly what to do. The truth is the opposite. Everything … Read more
Or, Why “Content” Makes My Skin Crawl There’s a kind of quiet shock that happens when you stumble, mid-scroll, onto something real. You’ve been swimming through sludge for so long that your eyes have adjusted to the brown water — and then suddenly, there it is: a hand-carved boat, gliding on purpose. Maybe it’s a … Read more
Every so often I stop and ask myself why I write any of this at all. Why put private questions into public language? Why offer up my changing thoughts about religion, spirit, and the many worlds I move through? I know that writing about belief can make someone look like a teacher—or worse, like the … Read more
Back to the Ground: Leaving the Creator Economy The Vegas Strip of Socials When I finally stepped back toward art as a career, I did what everyone said you’re supposed to do: I walked straight onto the neon promenade of the platforms. It was all there — the carnival barkers with growth hacks, the slot … Read more
Escaping the Creator Economy and Breathing Again My feed felt like a mall food court during a fire drill — everyone juggling trays, alarms, ring lights, and a brand voice, while even the cows have adopted Gen Z cadence and a serotonin-deprived wink (and it must be said: this is not an indictment on Gen … Read more
Why I Left Social Media and Still Beat the Algorithm I left social media for the same reason people stop feeding slot machines: I got tired of watching it eat my quarters and call it “networking.” For years I played the game like everyone else. Post a sketch at peak hours. Reply fast. Learn the … Read more